Made in China 2025 - where does China stand?
Report by the EU Chamber of Commerce in China
Made in China
Published:
Nearly ten years ago, the Chinese government launched its ambitious “Made in China 2025” strategy with the goal of achieving global leadership in key technologies.
On 16 April 2025, the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China released a 53-page report titled “Made in China 2025: The Cost of Technological Leadership.” Pages 5 and 6 of the report offer a graphical assessment of progress made in various technology sectors. In three core areas, the report concludes that China has established technological dominance:
- Maritime engineering equipment and high-tech shipbuilding
- Advanced rail equipment
- Energy saving vehicles and new energy vehicles (NEVs)
While several of the initiative's sector-specific targets remain unmet, the report highlights significant overall progress. On page 7, the authors note:
“While some of MIC2025’s specific sectoral targets have not been achieved, its general goal of further modernising China’s overall manufacturing sector has been advanced significantly. For example, in 2024, China surpassed Germany in the number of industrial robots per 10,000 workers, meaning that, at least by this metric, China’s level of industrial automation is now greater than that of any European country.”
The full report is available online free of charge:
European Union Chamber of Commerce in China
Made in China 2025: The Cost of Technological LeadershipExternal link (published on April 16, 2025)
Further reading and background:
- MERICS Report (December 2016):
Made in China 2025: The Making of a High-Tech Superpower and Consequences for Industrial Countries (PDF)External link - Official announcement by the People’s Republic of China:
Notice of the State Council on the Publication of "Made in China 2025”